MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER OWNED BY THE THE CITY OF OCEAN SHORES 16 RFP-03 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 – Cover Letter Page 1 2 – Background and Project Summary Page 4 3 – Proposer’s Qualifications Page 12 4 – Sales & Marketing Plan Page 37 5 – Staffing & Organizational Plan Page 43 6 – Subcontractor Information Page 46 7 – Operations & Management Page 47 8 – Financial Sustainability Page 55 9 – Terminated Contracts Page 56 10 – Operating Proforma Page 57 11 – Financial Proposal Page 67 Pinnacle Venue Services 20770 US 281 North San Antonio, TX 78258 (210) 784-7189 www.pinnaclevs.us Douglas Higgons Managing Partner June 29, 2016 Mayor Crystal L. Dingler City of Ocean Shores 800 Anchor Avenue NW Ocean Shores, WA 98569 16RFP-03: Management Services for The Convention Center Owned by The City of Ocean Shores Dear Mayor Dingler and Members of the Selection Committee, Pinnacle Venue Services is pleased to submit our proposal for Management Services of the Ocean Shores Convention Center. We are confident we provide the best solution to maximize the success of the OSCC. Pinnacle Venue Services was started in November 2014 SPECIFICALLY with markets like Ocean Shores in mind. We thought venues in secondary and tertiary markets were not getting the attention and customized services they required to be successful. We vowed to treat EVERY market individually with unique approaches. That is what we are proposing for the OSCC; a specific, unique plan to increase sales at the OSCC. Pinnacle Venue Services is comprised of successful industry veterans who have a myriad of experience in addressing every challenge faced by venues. We are not a large company looking at each client as number, rather we focus on our clients individually and we will provide hands- on dedicated service to the OSCC. In less than two years, Pinnacle Venue Services has seen tremendous growth. Recently, after a competitive RFP process, we were awarded management rights and completed the transition for the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex (23,000 sq. ft. conference center; 5,000 seat arena; 630 seat theater,) at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), taking the account away from the incumbent company Spectra. Just last week, after another competitive bid process, Pinnacle was awarded a full management services contract by the University of Miami for the BankUnited Center Complex in Miami, FL. We believe there are THREE reasons that simply make the Pinnacle team the best choice for managing the OSCC into the future: 20770 US 281 North San Antonio, TX 78258 (757) 323-9380 www.pinnaclevs.us Douglas Higgons Managing Partner 1. OUR EXPERIENCE WITH SIMILAR PROJECTS TO THE OCEAN SHORES CONVENTION CENTER IS UNMATCHED! Pinnacle Venue Services, while a new company, has a senior management team with extensive experience in similar venues. Doug Higgons and Barry Strafacci will be your Pinnacle hands-on corporate managers of this account. Together, they have over 60 years of experience in the venue management industry. Our combination of experience in the OSCC and experience in similar venues around the country cannot be matched by any other company. 2. OUR BUSINESS PLAN! We have offered the city a creative AND achievable business plan. We will focus on marketing the facilities and growing the number of events, with emphasis on multi-day conferences and events that bring out of town guests to Ocean Shores. Also, we will not wait for events to come to us. We will invest $10,000 per year of our management fees to create one new signature annual ‘destination’ festival that will grow to become a revenue anchor for the OSCC budget. We plan to take the food & beverage operations in-house and will hire George Lee as our Director of Food & Beverage. 3. PERSONAL ATTENTION! Pinnacle is not a huge company with hundreds of clients. We provide personal attention to our clients. That’s one of the reasons we are successful. OSCC will receive personal attention from the senior management of our company EVERY day. Pinnacle Venue Services believes that we can forge a truly productive partnership with the City of Ocean Shores. We understand that this is more than just a business deal – this is about trust and reputation. Pinnacle Venue Services is a Texas Limited Liability company. We are located at: Pinnacle Venue Services 20770 US 281 North San Antonio, TX 78258. Douglas Higgons, Managing Partner for Pinnacle will be the point of contact for the Ocean Shores Convention Center. Doug can be reached at 757-323-9380 or [email protected]. The terms of this proposal will remain in place for 180 days, unless the procurement is terminated by the City, or a contract is executed. 20770 US 281 North San Antonio, TX 78258 (757) 323-9380 www.pinnaclevs.us Douglas Higgons Managing Partner We are poised to provide the experience and dedication to take the OSCC to the next level! We eagerly look forward to the next steps in this process. In particular, we look forward to the opportunity to present our vision, experience, and passion for this project in person. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Douglas Higgons Managing Partner 20770 US 281 North San Antonio, TX 78258 (757) 323-9380 www.pinnaclevs.us 4 MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER OWNED BY THE CITY OF OCEAN SHORES 16 RFP-03 2 – Background and Project Summary Pinnacle Venue Services is a Texas Limited Liability Company. It is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas with an additional office located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Pinnacle Venue Services was founded by venue industry veterans Doug Higgons and Tom Paquette in November 2014. It was founded with the belief that there is a need in the industry for a company that truly puts clients first. Pinnacle Venue Services has one simple goal—to provide venue owners and operators customized services that produce results and address their clients’ needs. Managing Partners, Higgons and Paquette, both have over 20 years of experience in the public assembly venue industry managing or overseeing a variety of venues including arenas, university facilities, theaters/performing arts centers, stadiums, convention centers and expo halls. We provide services that make a difference, whether it is securing entertainment content, identifying and correcting operating inefficiencies, designing and implementing emergency policies and procedures, providing the critical staff training, or providing full management services. Our services produce tangible results. Pinnacle Venue Services is committed to providing customized solutions for its clients. We listen to our clients and provide services that are appropriate based on their goals. We have a team of successful industry veterans and strategic partners that have a myriad of experience in addressing every challenge faced by venues. We can help make venues more profitable, efficient, and safer for their customers and employees. While new, Pinnacle Venue Services is rich in experience. The staff and principals of Pinnacle have over 150 years of venue management and marketing experience. As venue operators, Pinnacle principals understand the ramifications of making the right decisions in management of theaters. Pinnacle Venue Services Officers Doug Higgons Tom Paquette Managing Partner Managing Partner 520 S. Independence Blvd. 20770 US 281 N. #108-484 Virginia Beach, VA 23452 San Antonio, TX 78258 757-323-9380 210-784-7189 [email protected] [email protected] Pinnacle Ownership The ownership team at Pinnacle Venue Services have extensive experience in the entertainment and financial services industry. The company is well funded. The profile of our ownership group is as follows: 5 MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER OWNED BY THE CITY OF OCEAN SHORES 16 RFP-03 • Coran Capshaw / Star Hill Events, LLC - He has won the Pollstar Magazine Manager of the Year award three times and is ranked sixth on the 2016 Billboard Magazine Power 100. • David Marberger – He is the Chief Financial Officer of Prestige Brands, the largest independent provider of over-the-counter products in North America. • Michael Jones - As the head of More Music Group, he is responsible for providing over 1,000 events annually for his clients. • Frank & Sally Roach – Both Frank and Sally have their own 30-year careers in live events and facility management. • Douglas Higgons – A 20 year plus veteran of the industry and former Regional Vice President of Spectra, where he had specific oversight of theater venues. • Tom Paquette – A 25 year plus veteran of the venue management industry and former General Manager of the AT&T Center in San Antonio. Approach to Management The Pinnacle approach to management is to build an operating plan unique to the OSCC that achieves the results the city wants, including: Increased Facility Usage o We will find more events for all of the facilities. Our team has extensive experience in the presentation of EVERY type of event hosted by the OSCC. o We will invest in developing NEW events that will grow into annual revenue anchors for the facilities. o We have relationships with meeting, conference and show planners and will actively sell the OSCC as the ideal location for their next event. o Our strong on-site staff works daily to find events for your facilities. o We will work with the city, local service groups, and public agencies to turn local event ideas into reality, from festivals and tournaments to regional conferences. Focus on the Bottom Line o Pinnacle customized management services will result in lower operating costs. o We will create efficient operating plans. o We negotiate more profitability into each event. o We increase advertising sales and event sponsorships. o We negotiate the lowest possible vendor rates for supplies and services. o Using our proven specialists, we will attain the lowest possible rates for workers' compensation insurance, employee benefits, and public liability insurance.